First Korean Olympic medalist in 12 years since Park Tae-hwan
Announces determination to win gold at the 2028 LA Olympics
Kim Woo-min (23, Gangwon Provincial Office), who became the second Olympic medalist in Korean swimming history after ‘Korean swimming legend’ Park Tae-hwan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, pledged to stand at the top of the podium at the next Olympics in Los Angeles (LA).
Kim Woo-min met with reporters after the ‘2024 Paris Olympics 2024 International Aquatics Federation Management World Cup Launch Ceremony’ held at the Seoul Olympic Parktel Seoul Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul at 11 am on the 7th and announced his next goal.
Kim Woo-min won a bronze medal in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the Paris Olympics held at La Defense Arena in Paris, France on July 28, with a time of 3 minutes 42.50 seconds.
It was the second Olympic medal in Korean swimming history, and the moment when an athlete won an Olympic medal 12 years after Park Tae-hwan (1 gold and 3 silver).
Kim Woo-min was recognized for his contribution and received a reward of 10 million won and a luxury watch from the swimming federation.
Two months had passed since he won the medal, but Kim Woo-min was still enjoying the joy of being a medalist.
Kim Woo-min said, “After the Paris Olympics ended, I took a break from swimming for about a month. “It was good, but after I rested enough, I wanted to swim again.” (Recently) I went to Japan for training and trained with my teammates, so it was fun. “I’m having fun preparing now,” he said.
When asked, ‘Do you feel the fact that you are an Olympic medalist?’, he said, “I think I feel it when I swim with my colleagues, and when I go out, there are times when many people recognize me. “At that time, I think I sometimes thought, ‘I did accomplish something big,’” he said with a laugh.
He experienced his first Olympics as a runner in the men’s 800m freestyle relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, and won a medal at his second Olympics, the Paris Games. It is said that they will aim for the top podium in the next competition held in LA in 2028.
Kim Woo-min said, “Ever since I was young, my ultimate goal was to win an Olympic gold medal. Based on this experience of winning a bronze medal, I think I need to work harder to stand at the highest level in my third Olympics. “I also have high expectations because I think I will be able to climb to the highest spot on the podium,” he said, showing strong confidence.
He continued, “There will be the Asian Games next year as well. If you focus on those things (upcoming competitions, etc.), the four years will seem to pass by quickly. “I think the most important thing is to take good care of my body and maintain the best condition for the competition I’m competing in,” he added.
Kim Woo-min’s schedule for this season is expected to be the second round of the Management World Cup, which will be held at Munhak Park Tae-hwan Swimming Pool in Incheon from the 24th to the 26th.
There is a high possibility that he will not participate in the short course (25m) World Championships held in Budapest in December due to basic military training scheduled for November. Kim Woo-min previously won three gold medals at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and received military service benefits.
Kim Woo-min said, “I think the second round of the Management World Cup will probably be the last game of the year. “I plan to compete in the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle,” he said.
It will be even more meaningful if Kim Woo-min, the first Olympic medalist since Park Tae-hwan, achieves good results at the stadium named after Park Tae-hwan.
In response, Kim Woo-min said, “I haven’t thought about that yet (in particular),” and added, “I think it’s very meaningful that it’s being held in Korea, and it will be a unique experience with world-class players coming to Korea to play.” Although I competed in the 2019 Championships (held in Korea), I think it will feel completely different. “I think there will be a more exciting and interesting game,” he concluded.
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2024-10-08 19:15:09